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adj B1 Intermediate Common

jealous

JEH-luhs
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Jealous (adj) means Worried or suspicious that a partner's affection has shifted elsewhere. Example: “Whenever his girlfriend laughed with her colleague, Tom felt jealous and kept quiet.”

adj
1
Worried or suspicious that a partner's affection has shifted elsewhere.
"Whenever his girlfriend laughed with her colleague, Tom felt jealous and kept quiet."
"He got jealous whenever she talked to her ex."
"Jealous thoughts kept her up at night."
2
Resentful of someone else's advantage, success, or possessions.
"I will admit I was jealous when my friend got the promotion I wanted."
"The children grew jealous of their cousin's huge collection of toys."
"She was jealous of her sister's new car."
3
Fiercely protective of something valued.
"She is jealous of her free time and rarely agrees to extra meetings."
"The old farmer was jealous of his land and kept strangers well away."
"He was jealous of his privacy and rarely shared details of his life."

How to use jealous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFeeling threatened by rivalry in love, or resentful of what someone else has.

Common mistake

Jealous is usually about fearing loss of something you have (a partner's love); envious is wanting something someone else has. In casual speech people use them interchangeably, but the distinction is worth knowing.

Easily confused with
envious → zealous →
Common pairings
jealous of green with jealousy jealous boyfriend
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Word forms

Third person singular
jealouses
Past tense
jealoused
Comparative
jealouser, more jealous
Superlative
jealousest, most jealous
Test yourself on “jealous” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Whenever his girlfriend laughed with her colleague, Tom felt _____ and kept quiet.

Etymology

From Old French "jalous," ultimately from Greek "zêlos" meaning zeal or fervent devotion — jealous and zealous share the same root.

Origin: Old French

Synonyms

View more →
envious covetous resentful possessive green-eyed grudging overjealous

Antonyms

indifferent

Related words

intent identical neutral bitter controlling territorial deaf enthusiastic

Rhymes for jealous

yous nous heinous ominous curious anxious copious tenuous unctuous tortuous spurious infamous
See all rhymes for jealous →

Frequently asked questions

What does “jealous” mean?
The word “jealous” means worried or suspicious that a partner's affection has shifted elsewhere. In plain terms, feeling threatened by rivalry in love, or resentful of what someone else has.
How do you pronounce “jealous”?
“Jealous” is pronounced JEH-luhs (/ˈd͡ʒɛ.ləs/ in IPA).
How do you use “jealous” in a sentence?
Here is “jealous” used in a sentence: “He got jealous whenever she talked to her ex.”
What part of speech is “jealous”?
“Jealous” is an adjective.
Where does the word “jealous” come from?
The word “jealous” comes from Old French. From Old French "jalous," ultimately from Greek "zêlos" meaning zeal or fervent devotion — jealous and zealous share the same root.
Is “jealous” a common word?
“Jealous” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “jealous” have?
“Jealous” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: worried or suspicious that a partner's affection has shifted elsewhere.
What is the difference between "jealous" and "envious"?
Jealous typically means fearing the loss of something you already have, such as a partner's affection, while envious means wanting something that belongs to someone else. In casual speech, however, jealous is very often used loosely to mean envious.
Is it correct to say "jealous of" someone?
Yes. Jealous is normally followed by the preposition "of," as in "jealous of her success" or "jealous of his money." This construction fits the sense of resenting another person's advantage or possessions.
When should you use "jealous" instead of "envious"?
Use jealous when the feeling involves protecting a relationship or something you fear losing, and envious when you simply want what another person has. Because the two overlap in everyday English, jealous is widely accepted for both meanings.

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